Liquid phase isomerization process



. ETAL 3,280,213

Oct. 18, 1966 G. c. MULLEN, JR.

LIQUID PHASE ISOMERIZATION PROCESS Filed May 13, 1964 H M m w 5 a m 3 d V A 3 0 a J 7 ATA w 3 EV m 1 K 3 H w @v 9w \QSQER 6/01 VA/O/l 9 762/380 INVENTORS' George 6. Mu/len, Jr. Kar/ A. Muller, Jr.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,280,213 LIQUID PHASE ISOMERIZATION PRGCESS George C. Mullen, J12, Hazel Crest, and Karl A. Mulier,

Jr., Park Forest, 11]., assignors to Standard Oil Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Indiana Filed May 13, 1964, Ser. No. 367,074 8 Claims. (Cl. Nil-683.74)

This invention relates to regenerative processes utilizing solid aluminum halide-adsorbent solid catalysts. More particularly, the invention relates to procedure and apparatus for using and regenerating catalyst of this type without interrupting the catalytic process.

The aluminum halides have been used as catalysts for conversions of organic compounds for many years. The aluminum halides per se are inconvenient to use as catalyst because of special difliculties encountered with addition of the catalyst and good contacting of the catalyst with the reactants. In order to obviate some of these ditficulties, aluminum halide catalysts have been used in conjunction with complex forming materials such as hydrocarbons which produce liquid complexes possessing catalytic activity. These liquid complexes have introduced other problems. Another form in which aluminum halide has been utilized has been a so-called solid catalyst wherein aluminum halide is positioned on the surface of a particulate adsorbent material such as bauxite. These solid aluminum halide-adsorbent catalysts have been particularly used where continuous flow operation is desired. For example, a commercial operation for the isomerization of n-bu-tane utilizes such a catalyst consisting of aluminum trichloride positioned on activated bauxite of about 4-8 mesh size.

These solid aluminum halide-adsorbent catalysts lose activity during the course of the reaction and eventually are discarded when the activity of the used catalysthas reached the level at which further use is uneconomical. The rate of activity loss becomes higher as the molecular weight of the hydrocarbon being processed is increased. Thus, the useful life of the catalyst is normally several weeks when processing butane; however, when processing hexanes the catalyst loses a substantial portion of its useful activity in only a few days. The aluminum halides are expensive materials and frequently the adsorbent materials are even more expensive. Thus there is a great incentive to develop methods whereby the used catalyst might be returned to a more active condition, i.e., regenerated. Particularly desirable is a process which will provide for regeneration of the catalyst and uninterrupted processing during regeneration.

An object of the invention is a process and apparatus utilizing solid particulate aluminum halide-adsorbent solid catalyst. Another object is a process and apparatus for treating a catalyst of this type which has become less active in the process to restore a substantial amount of the activity loss. A particular object is a process utilizing aluminum halide-surface-hydroxyl-containing adsorbent solid catalyst wherein used catalyst is treated to obtain regenerated catalyst of substantially the same activity as the fresh catalyst. Other objects will become apparent in the course of the detailed description of the invention.

It has been discovered that used catalyst of the aluminum halide-adsorbent type can be regenerated to possess a substantially greater activity than the used catalyst by treatment with hydrogen gas at a temperature from about 100 F. to about 600 F., and a hydrogen partial pressure of from about 50 psi. to about 2500 p.s.i. for a time sufficient to obtain the desired degree of activity increase. The hydrogen gas may include a hydrogen halide corresponding to the halide present in the used catalyst.

The present invention provides a regenerative liquidphase isomerization process which comprises contacting ICC an isomerizable hydrocarbon feed process stream with solid catalyst consisting essentially of aluminum halide positioned on surface-hydroxyl-containing adsorbent solid and associated with hydrogen halide, recovering isomerized product, periodically interrupting contacting of said feed with a portion of said catalyst and isolating said portion of catalyst from the process stream and from the remainder of said catalyst, contacting said isolated catalyst with hydrogen to effect regeneration whereby the activity of said isolated catalyst for isomerization is increased, and returning said isolated catalyst to said process stream intermediate contacting of said process stream with a first part and a second part of said remainder of catalyst.

The preferred catalyst for use in our process, broadly considered, is an aluminum halide positioned on surfacehydroxyl-containing adsorbent solid and associated with hydrogen halide. It is preferred that the hydrogen halide correspond to the particular aluminum halide used. Aluminum chloride is the preferred aluminum halide and will be used in the subsequent discussion for the purpose of illustration. More specifically, the preferred catalyst is the reaction product of aluminum chloride with surface hydroxyl groups of surface-hydroxyl-containing adsorbent solid associated with hydrogen chloride.

The term "surface-hydroxy-containing adsorbent solid includes the various forms of silica gel and the various alumina materials, natural and synthetic, which have a substantial portion of the surface existing in the hydroxyl form, as opposed to the dehydrated oxide form. No adsorbed water, as such, should be present. Aluminas which can be treated to produce the required surface hydroxyl groups are. gamma, eta, and chi forms of alumina. The surface-hydroxyl-containing adsorbent solids are not significantly active for hydrocarbon isomerization, under the other conditions of the process, nor is the aluminum chloride reaction product alone significantly active; yet, the reaction product, When conjoined with HCl produces more hydrocarbon conversion than do the same amounts of aluminum chloride and H01 alone, or surface-hydroxylcontaining adsorbent solid either alone or with HCl, under the other conditions of the process.

Aluminum chloride can exist on the surface of alumina in three forms: reacted with surface hydroxyl groups to form O-AlCl groups, chemisorbed AlCl monomer, and as physically adsorbed aluminum chloride. In the case of silica gel, aluminum chloride can exist on the surface in only two forms: reacted with surface hydroxyl groups to form -OAlCl groups, and physically adsorbed aluminum chloride. The reacted and chemisorbed forms associate HCl and thus form an active catalyst species; however, the chemisorbed monomer form is unstable and the aluminum chloride in this form tends to be desorbed by process and/ or regeneration fluids, thus estroying thiscatalyst species. This species can be maintained or replaced, however, by replacing the aluminum chloride, e.g. in solution in the process stream. On the other hand, the reacted form is quite stable and, for example, the O-A1Cl groups are not destroyed by atmospheric pressure inert gas purge at temperature as high as 700 F., far above the sublimation temperature of aluminum chloride. The physically adsorbed form is even more unstable than the chemisorbed monomer form and is not a practical catalyst component.

The surface-hydroXyl-containing adsorbent solid should have a substantial amount of surface area. Only those pores in the adsorbent solid having diameters greater than about 35 angstrom units (35 A.) are utilized in forming the catalyst, therefore it is the surface area of the pores larger than about 35 A. which is important. The surface of adsorbent solid pores having diameters greater than about 35 A. is termed herein effective surface and the term effective surface area is used herein to mean the total surface area of an adsorbent solid minus the surface area attributable to surface within pores having diameters less than about 35 A. The surface areas and pore diameters herein are those which are determined by nitrogen adsorption techniques. It is desirable that the surface-hydroxyl-containing adsorbent solid have an effective surface area in the range of about 25-7 square meters per gram (sq. m./gm.), preferably 50-500 sq. m./ gm.

The bauxitic materials which are naturally occurring impure alumina hydrates, such as bauxite and la-terite, are a suitable source of surface-hydroxyl-containing adsorbent solids. The aluminous materials which contain substantial amounts, or even large amounts, of oxides other than aluminum oxide are suitable for use in preparing surface-hydr-oxyl-containing adsorbent to be conjoined with aluminum chloride and HCl. The synthetic material known as silica-alumina, which is used as a hydrocarbon cracking catalyst, is such a suitable aluminous material.

It is preferred to use alumina materials, synthetic or naturally-occurring, such as bauxite, as the surface-hydroxyl-containin-g adsorbent solid for preparation of the catalyst. Any adsorbed molecular water should be removed from the solid prior to contacting it with aluminum halide, lest the effectiveness of some of the aluminum chloride to form a catalyst be destroyed by reaction or hydration with the water. Adsorbed Water can be removed by drying or calcining the solid; however, if calcination is used it should not be carried out under conditions of temperature and time so severe as to destr-oy the surface hydroxyl groups.

A convenient method of ascertaining whether adsorbed water is absent and an effective amount of surface hydroxyl groups is present in a particular adsorbent solid to be used in preparing catalyst is to determine the weight loss of the defined solid upon heating to about 1832 F. This weight loss is termed loss on ignition (L01). It has been found that satisfactory surface-hydroxyl-containin-g adsorbent solids are those which contain little or no adsorbed molecular water and which lose about 2-10 weight percent, preferably about 4-8 weight percent in the case of the aluminas and 2-6 weight percent in the case of silica gel, of their original weight upon being heated to about 1832" F. The weight loss in these ranges is due, almost entirely, to the destruction of surface bydroxyl groups which the consequent liberation of water.

The surface-hydroxyl-containing adsorbent solid for use in forming the catalyst is prepared in any manner providing a substantial portion of the effective surface in the hydroxyl form so that there are available hydroxyl groups for reaction with aluminum chloride. It is preferred that at least about 50 percent of the effective surface be in the hydroxyl form. Opitmally, nearly all of the effective surface is in the hydroxyl form with no molecular water present.

A suitable method of producing a surface-hydroxylcontaining adsorbent solid is to calcine a silica and/or alumina containing material to produce an adsorbent solid containing at least one of the following adsorbent solid forms: silica gel, chi alumina, eta alumina, gamma alumina, or mixtures thereof such as silica-alumina. Suitable calcination conditions of time and temperature, eg a temperature in the range of about 300 to 1100 F. for a time in the range of about 1-24 hours, will produce an adsorbent solid having the required surface area and pore size properties and a LOI less than about 2-4 percent. Water, as liquid or vapor, is then added to the calcined adsorbent solid in the amount of about 1-5 weight percent or more. The added Water is permitted to react with the surface of the adsorbent solid to produce surface hydroxyl groups. This hydrated adsorbent solid is then dried under carefully controlled conditions so that molecular water is removed without destroying an appreciable number of the surface hydroxyl groups.

4 Suitable drying conditions are a temperature in the range of about ZOO-300 F. for a time of about 10-100 hours. Of course, if the adsorbent solid, such as bauxite for example, as received contains 8-10 percent or more of water, as determined by loss on ignition, the hydration step may be omitted.

The catalyst is formed by contacting aluminum chloride with the defined surface-hydroxyl-containing adsorbent solid and causing the aluminum chloride to react with the surface hy-droxyl groups on the surface of the defined adsorbent solid, thus forming O-AlCl groups on the surface. During this reaction one mole of HCl is liberated for each mole of AlCl reacted. HCl is caused to associate, mole for mole with the O-AlCl groups to form the active catalyst. It is postulated that an --O-AlCl site, when associated with HCl, forms a proton and a negatively charged species, (OAlCl which constitutes the actual catalyst.

The aluminum chloride content corresponding to maximum catalyst activity is that amount of aluminum chloride required to provide a monolayer of reacted aluminum chloride molecules, i.e., reacted with hydroxyl groups to form OAlCl groups, over the effective surface area of the defined adsorbent solid. One gram of aluminum chloride will provide a monolayer of aluminum chloride molecules (or -OAlCl groups) over about 534 square meters of effective surface area.

Thepreferred method of preparing the catayst is to form a dry physical mixture of aluminum chloride and surface-hydroxyl-containing adsorbent solid and react the mixture at a temperature in the range of about 0500 F., preferably about ZOO-350 F. Normally sufficient pressure is utilized to minimize sublimation of aluminum chloride from the reaction mixture to reduce aluminum chloride loss. A flowing stream of gas may be used as the heat transfer medium for heating the reaction mixture and cooling the reaction products. Hydrogen is a preferred lgas, however other relatively unreactive gases such as nitrogen, helium, methane, ethane, propane, butane, etc. may also be used. The reaction time required decreases as the reaction temperature is increased. At the preferred reaction temperature of ZOO-350 F., a time of about 0.1 to 10 hours is normally sufiicient to complete the reaction; however, longer reaction time is not detrimental. 'HCl is then caused to associate with the reaction product of aluminum chloride and surface-hydroxyl-con-taining adsorbent solid. This association is carried out at a temperature below about ISO-200 F. since at higher temperature the association does not take place. In fact, a fully formed catalyst will liberate HCl if heated to a temperature of ISO-200 F., or higher, even under pressures of 500 psi or more. The association with HCl is conveniently carried out by contacting the reaction product with anhydrous HCl at a pressure of about 10-500 p.s.i.a. and a temperature in the range of about 60-200 F. One mole of HCl associates for each mole of AlCl which has reacted with the surface-hydroxyl-containing adsorbent solid. A time of about 1-100 hours is normally sufiicient to complete the HCl association.

The most desirable ratio of aluminum chloride to the defined adsorbent solid depends upon the surface-hydroxyl content of the particular adsorbent solid used. For example, with surface-bydroxyl-containing adsorbent solid particles of about 20-60 mesh size and having an effective surface area of about 230 sq. m./gm., the proportions will normally be about 25-35 weight percent aluminum chloride and about 65-75 weight percent adsorbent solid. Most catalyst forming reaction mixtures comprise 10-50 weight percent aluminum chloride and 50-90 weight percent of the defined adsorbent solid. The catalyst can be prepared in a great number of particle sizes. The final catalyst configuration is determined .by the configuration of the surface-hydroxyl-containing adsorbent solid used. The catalyst is hygroscopic, therefore care should be taken to avoid contacting the catalyst with moisture.

The feed to our process is first treated to remove sulfur, =olefins and aromatics to acceptably low levels. The sulfur concentration is lowered to less than about parts per million parts of feed by weight (p.p.m.), preferably 1-2 p.p.m. Olefin c-oncentration is lowered to less than about 100 ppm. preferably to below 50 ppm. The aromatic concentration is reduced to less than 25 ppm. preferably to below 10 ppm. A convenient method for meeting these feed stock specifications is to employ a two-stage hydrogenation process. In the first stage sulfur is removed by hydrodesulfurization and at least some of the olefins are hydrogenated. Convenient catalyst and operating conditions are CoMo-alumina catalyst operated at about 250 psi. and 700 F., while employing about 2,500- sta-ndard cubic feet of hydrogen per barrel of feed. The first stage product is stripped free of hydrogen sulfide and then sent to the second stage for dearomatiza-tion. A suitable second-stage catalyst is nickel supported on kieselguhr for hydrogenation of any olefins still present and hydrogenation of aromatics to produce cycloparaflins. Typical operating conditions for such a second-stage are a pressure of about 250 psi, a temperature of about 450 F. and a hydrogen input rate of 1,800 s.c.f./bbl. of feed. Any other suitable feed pretreating processes may be used, e.g., adsorption employing activated alumina, silica gel, molecular sieves, etc.

Our isomerization process uses the above defined solid catalyst in fixed bed reactors and operates at a tempera ture in the range of about 50-150 F., and sufiicient pressure to maintain a liquid phase in the reactors. The fresh feed, which has been pretreated to reduce sulfur, olefin, and aromatic concentrations to acceptable levels, is fed together with a recycle stream, if desired, to a prefractionator. The prefractionator bottoms contains naphthenes in excess of that amount required as cracking inhibitor, heavier components from the fresh feed, and a small quantity of high boiling materials from the recycle stream. This bottom stream can be used as catalytic reforming feed or can be blended directly into gasoline. The prefractionator is operated so that the overhead product contains sufiicient cycloparafiins to inhibit cracking in the isomerization reactors. The cycloparaflin concentration suitable for inhibiting cracking is in the range of about 3-15 mol percent, preferably 7-15 percent when isomerizing hexanes or mixed pentane-hexane feeds, and about 5-10 percent when isomerizing pentane feed. The cycloparaffins themselves will be isomerized in the process to near-equilibrium composition. Thus, for example, methyl-cyclopentane can be used as cracking inhibitor and be simultaneously converted to predominantly cyclohexane which is also an effective cracking inhibitor.

The prefractionator overhead is cooled and fed to the upper section of a hydrogen scrubber. The purpose of this hydrogen scrubber is to remove hydrocarbons from the recycle regeneration-hydrogen stream described below. The prefractionator overhead is withdrawn from the bottom of the hydrogen scrubber and is fed to the reaction section, which comprises a plurality of fixed bed reactors. If desired, the process stream entering any reactor may be first passed through a bed of solid aluminum chloride (AlCl saturator) to replace AlCl that may be lost through solubility of this catalytic component in reactor efiiuent and to make up small sublimation losses which may occur during regeneration.

The reactor effluent is stripped of HCl and then fed to the recycle fractionator, which produces the isomerized product overhead and a recycle stream as bottoms. The HCl from the top of the HCl stripper is recycled to the reaction section.

The fixed-bed reactors are manifolded with valves and piping so that each reactor may be isolated from the process stream for regeneration. The manifolding, which will be described below, and which is exemplified in the figure, is designed so that each reactor may be located in any position along the process stream. In order to minimize aluminum chloride losses which may occur either during regeneration or following return of a freshly regenerated reactor to process, the preferred procedure is to isolate the reactor from the first position for regeneration, return the freshly regenerated reactor to an intermediate position, move the former intermediate reactor or reactors toward the last position and relocate the reactor formerly occupying the last position to the first position. Thus any free AlCl which may be present i-n the catalyst bed of the reactor in the first position is removed by solution in the process stream and carried into subsequent catalyst beds where it is adsorbed. Thus free AlCl in this reactor is minimized so that little will be lost during the subsequent regeneration. Also any aluminum chloride which may have become loosened from the cocatalyst during the regeneration procedure will be held within the reaction section when this reactor is put on stream in an intermediate position, because this aluminum chloride will be adsorbed from the process stream onto catalyst in subsequent reactor(s).

An aluminum chloride saturator may be used to replace aluminum chloride lost from the catalyst bed during the previous regeneration. This saturator may be lo.- cated in the feed stream to any reactor in the series; however, the preferred location is in the process stream immediately preceding the freshly regenerated reactor.

Briefly, regeneration comprises isolating a reactor from the process stream, draining the reactor, purging hydrocarbons from the catalyst bed with a flowing stream of hydrogen, heating the catalyst, contacting the hot catalyst with an atmosphere of hydrogen for a time sufficient to increase the isomerization activity of the catalyst, cooling the catalyst (with a flowing stream of hydrogen under pressure, purging the hydrogen from the catalyst "with gaseous HCl, contacting the catalyst with an atmosphere of gaseous HCl under pressure for a time sufficient to essentially completely react or associate the regenerated catalyst with HCl, depressuring the reactor, filling the reactor with process liquid hydrocarbon, and returning the reactor to process. I

In order to minimize the quantity of C and heavier hydrocarbons present during regeneration, which would tend to crack and deposit coke on the catalyst during the hydrogen purge and heating steps, a scrubber is provided to scrub these heavier hydrocarbons from the recycle hydrogen stream with reactor charge liquid. This hydrogen scrubber must also be operated under conditions to minimize the hydrogen absorbed in reactor charge because hydrogen tends to inhibit the isomerizationreaction. Both of these goals can be accomplished by operating the hydrogen scrubber at low'pressure, below about psi, and low temperature, below about 100 F. This hydrogen scrubber may employ any suitable gas-liquid contact means such as Raschig rings, Berl saddles, bubble-cap trays, etc.

Relatively pure HCl is needed during a portion of the regeneration cycle for reaction with the regenerated catalyst. It can be obtained by using some of the overhead product from the HCl stripper. This lowers slightly the HCl concentration in the on-process reaction liquid; however, after its use in regeneration, this HCl is returned to the on-process liquid by absorption in reactor feed passing through the hydrogen scrubber into which the HCl is passed following its use during the regeneration cycle. This temporary reduction in the HCl concentration in the process stream has little or no effect on the isomerization conversion provided the HCl concentration is not allowed to decrease below the minimum required to maintain the aluminum chloride-alumina-HCl catalyst species.

Illustrations To illustrate the process of our invention the results of a test of six months duration will be described. The charge stock for this test had the following composition.

Component: Weight percent Neohexane 0.4

Diisopropyl 7.8 Methylpentanes 3 .2 n-Hexane 25.8

Methylcyclopentane 2.5 Cyclohexane 10.3

This feed material had been previously pretreated to con tain aromatic, sulfur and olefin concentrations less than about parts per million parts by weight (p.p.m.), 1 ppm. and 50 p.p.m., respectively. The plant utilized four reactors manifolded by appropriate valves and piping so that each reactor could occupy any position from first to last relative to the process stream. The system was similar to that illustrated in the accompanying drawing. The plant was operated with three reactors on stream in series while the catalyst in the fourth reactor was being regenerated. Fractionation equipment was provided to strip HCl from the reactor efliuent, to split the product to obtain a high octane neohexane fraction, and to rerun the reactor feed for removal of heavy hydrocarbons. Facilities were provided for recycling HCl and unconverted hexanes. An aluminum chloride saturator was provided to replace slight losses of AlCl from the reactor system. This saturator was manifolded with appropriate valves and piping so that it could be located prior to any reactor relative to the process stream or not used at all.

The operating conditions employed for this test are shown below:

Space velocity, wo./hr./wc. 0.15 Reactor average temper ature, F. 100-115 Saturator temperature, F 115 Reactor pressure, p.s.i.g 200 EC], wt. percent based on feed 5-7 Cycloparaffin inhibitor, wt. percent on feed 10-13 1 Weight of oil per hour per weight of catalyst.

The catalyst used was aluminum chloride-alumina pre pared as described above from eta phase alumina having a loss-on-ignition at 1832 F. of about 2 wt. percent. This loss-on-ignition has been found by experience to correspond closely to maximum surface hydroxyl coverage for this alumina. The catalyst as prepared contained about 28 weight percent aluminum chloride.

The steps of the regeneration procedure used were:

(1) Remove lead reactor from process.

(2) Purge with hydrogen.

(3) Pressure to about 600 p.s.i.g. with hydrogen containing about 2 mol percent of HCl.

(4) Heat catalyst to about 300 F.

(5) Soak in hydrogen atmosphere at about 300 F. for about 30-44 hours.

(6) Cool catalyst to about 125 F. with a flowing stream of hydrogen containing about 2 mol percent of HCl.

(7) Reduce pressure to 200 p.s.i.g. and purge with gaseous HCl.

(8) Soak in HCl at about 200 p.s.i.g. for about 10-15 hours.

(9) Fill reactor with HCl-saturated feed.

(10) Place reactor on stream.

The catalyst was effectively regenerated during the 30- 44 hour hydrogen soak. The 1015 hour hydrogen chloride treat was used to replace the hydrogen chloride lost from the catalyst during the previous steps of the regeneration procedure. With this regeneration procedure the catalyst activity after regeneration average 94 percent of the activitysubsequent to the previous regeneration.

Two problems were encountered when a freshly regenerated reactor was placed on stream. When the regenerated reactor was placed on oil in the first position, excessive catalyst temperatures were encount-red, lowering catalyst activity, although aluminum chloride losses from the reaction section were low. When the freshly regenerated reactor was placed on stream in the last position, relatively high losses of aluminum chloride from this reactor, and thus from the reaction section, occurred It was discovered that when the freshly regenerated reactor was put on stream in the intermediate position, both aluminum chloride loss and catalyst temperature rise were satisfactory. After three days in the intermediate position each reactor was moved -to the last position where it remained for three more days and was then'moved -to the first position for three days prior to another regeneration. Thus the plant was operated with each reactor on a twelve-day cycle which included three days for regeneration and three day-s in each process position. The aluminum chloride lost from the catalyst during each regeneration amounted to only 0.03 weight percent based on catalyst.

The presence of hydrogen in the process stream decreases conversion, 0.15 mol percent hydrogen resulting in a 1 to 2 weight percent decrease in the neohexane content of the product. Therefore, precautions were taken to prevent hydrogen from entering the process stream either through leakage or by way of the hydrogen scrubher.

The test was voluntarily terminated after 4,373 hours of continuous operation during which time neohexane production ave-raged 40.5 weight percent in the reactor efiluent hexanes.

Another test Was conducted employing a pentane-hexane feed containing 35 weight percent pentanes. The product pentane fraction contained '81 weight percent isopentane. The conversion of hexanes to neohexane was not affected by the presence of the pentanes in the feed. These data showv that our process can be successfully used for mixed pentane-hexane isomerization.

An illustrative embodiment of our process for isomerizing a mixed hexane feed is shown schematically in the figure. This illustration is a recycle is-omerization process for conversion of low octane hexane isomers into dirnethyl butane, primarily neohexane (2,2-dimethyl butane), which can be used as a high octane gasoline blend- 'naphthenes not required as cracking inhibitor, any heptanes and heavier portion from the fresh feed, and a small quantity of hexanes are withdrawn via valved line 14. This bottoms stream can be reformed or blended directly into gasoline. The prefractionator overhead, which contains most of the hexane isomers and suflicient naphthenes to inhibit cracking in the isomerization section, is passed via line 15, through cooler 16 wheren the tempe'rature of the overhead stream is reduced to about 50 F. The cooled feed stream is then passed via line 17 into the upper portion of a hydrogen scrubber 18. The feed stream flows downward through the hydrogen scrubber countercurrently to a rising hydrogen stream, scrubbing from the hydrogen stream any hydrocarbons contained therein which boil above butane. This hydrogen stream is used for regeneration as discussed below. The feed stream passes from the hydrogen scrubber through line 19, is joined by I-ICl recycle from line 20, and is passed to the reaction section.

For the purpose of illustration, a process employing four reactors is shown and flow through the reaction section will be discussed as though reactor R is being regenerated, reactor R'1 is the next reactor .to be regenerated and thus is in the first position, reactor R-2 is the freshly regenerated reactor and thus is in the second posi tion, and as though reactor R- S was regenerated prior to reactor R2, following the last regeneration of reactor R-1, and thus reactor R-3 occupies the third and last position in the series of reactors on process. The combined fresh feed-cycle HCl stream is passed into the feed manifold 21, thence through line 22 .and valve 23 is open and valves 23a, 23b, 23c, and 23d are closed. The process stream passes upwardly through line 24 to reactor R-l, leaving through lines 24a and 25 into cooler 26 wherein the exothermic heat of reaction is removed. The cooled reactor R-l effluent then passes into R1 efiluent manifold line 27, thence through valve 28 into aluminum chloride drum inlet line 29. The process stream passes through the aluminum chloride drum 30 into the aluminum chloride drum outlet manifold 31, thence through valve 32a into reactor R-2 inlet line 33 and thence into reactor R-2. The process stream then flows from reactor R2 via lines 34 and 3 through cooler 26a into reactor R-2 outlet manifold line 37, valve 3 8a and reactor R-3 inlet line 39 into reactor R3. The process stream is passed from reactor R-3 via line 40, and valve 41 into reaction section outlet manifold line 42, thence into HCl stripper 4'3. HCl is stripped from the reaction section eflluent and is recycled via line 20 to reaction section inlet line 21. HCl-free eflluent is then passed via valved line 4 4 into the recycle fractionator 45 from which dimethylbutane product is removed via line 46. The hexane recycle stream removed from the bottom of the recycle fractionator contains diisopropyl, methylpentanes, norm-a1 hexane and cycloparafiins as well as a trace of C -plus material. This bottoms stream is recycled via valved line 13 to prefracti-onator feed line 11.

Reactor R4 is isolated from the process stream for regeneration by closed valves 47]), 38b, 48c, 23c, 32c, 50, 51, 51a, 51b, and 510. Hydrogen from source 52 is introduced to reactor R-4 via valved line 53, line 54, hydrogen inlet manifold 54a, valve 55c and line 56. Hydrocarbon is purged from reactor R-4 through line 57, valve 4% and line 58 into the hydrogen scrubber 18. The by rocarbou from reactor R-4 joins the feed stream in the hydrogen scrubber 18 and enters the reaction section via lines 19 and 21. Alternatively, a surge drum may be provided into which reactor R4.-, or any other reactor, may be drained prior to regeneration, and from which the reactor may be refilled prior to being returned to process. The use of such a surge drum will prevent upsetting the operation of the HCl stripper by intermittent variation in load when a reactor is drained or refilled. Scrubbed hydrogen passes from the hydrogen scrubber via line 59 through steam heater 60- and is recycled by a compressor (not shown) into line 54a and into reactor R-4 via valve 550 and line 56. The recycle hydrogen stream is heated by introducing steam from source 61 through valve 62 and line 63 into the steam heater 60. The hot recycle hydrogen stream in turn heats the catalyst in reactor R-4 to the preferred regeneration temperature of about 250- 300 F. When the catalyst in reactor R4 reaches the desired temperature, steam valve 62 is closed and the hydrogen flow -is stopped by stopping the recycle compressor and closing valves 55c and 49b. The hot catalyst is allowed to stand in the present of hydrogen under pressure for a time sufficient to complete regeneration of the catalyst. If desired a small amount of HCl may be present with the hydrogen. Alternatively isobutane from source 68 may be introduced with the hydrogen via valved line 69 and line 54 to aid in removing olefinic contaminants from the catalyst by alkylating them. We have found it best not to include HCl and isobutane simultaneously. The time required for the regeneration is normally in the range of about 6 to 72 hours. After the catalyst regeneration is complete, valves 55c and 4911 are again opened, the recycle compressor started and the catalyst cooled to about -l50 F. by recycling cool hydrogen via lines 59, 54a, 56, 57, and 58. Although not necessary, it is preferred that the recycle hydrogen used for cooling the catalyst contain a small amount of HCl. The HCl can be introduced into the recycle hydrogen stream from HCl storage drum 64 via valved line 65 and line 54 into the hydrogen line 54a. After the catalyst in reactor R-4 is cooled to the desired temperature the reactor is depressured by stopping the recycle hydrogen compressor, closing valve 550 and releasing the hydrogen from the reactor via valve 4% and line 58 into the hydrogen scrubber and then through lines 59, 54a and valve 80 to vent. Valve 66 is then closed and the reactor is pressured to about -250 p.s.i. with HCl from recycle line 20 via valved line 67. The catalyst in reactor R-4 is allowed to stand in the presence of HCl under pressure for a time sufficient to react essentially completely the aluminum chloride-alumina catalyst with HCl. A time of 515 hours, more or less, is normally suflicient to complete this reaction. When the HCl reaction is completed, valved line 67 is closed and the reactor is again depres sured via line 57' valve 491; and line 58 into hydrogen scrubber 18 where the HCl is absorbed in reaction section feed. Valve 4% is then closed and the reactor R4 is then filled with liquid by opening valves 48c and 50.

When the reactor is filled with liquid, valves 48c and 50 are closed and then R-4 is put on stream in the second position preceded bythe saturator, R3 is moved to the first position, R-2 is changed to the last position and R-l is removed for regeneration by opening valves 23b, 48b, 510, 32c, and 7! and closing valves 23,28, 32a, 38a and 41. Feed then flows from the bottom of the hydrogen scrubber 18 via lines 1 9 and 21 into reactor R-3 via valve 23b and line 3 9. The process stream then is passed via lines 40 and 72, valve 48b and line 25! into the AlCl drum 30, thence via line 31, valve 320 and line 57 into reactor R4, thence from reactor R-4 via lines 56 and 74 through cooler 26c into reactor R-Z via line 75, valve 51a and line 33. Effluent from R-2 flows via line 34, valve 70 and line 42 into the HCl stripper 43'. Reactor R-l is thus isolated from the process stream by closed valves 38, 48, 51, 76, 23, 32, 71, 55, 47, 47a, 47b, and 28. Reactor R-.1 is then regenerate As has been pointed out above, HCl is released from the catalyst during the heating step of the regeneration sequence. If it is desired to prevent the HCl concentration from building up excessively in the process stream during the time a reactor is undergoing hydrogen treatment, HCl may be withdrawn from the system via valved line 77 into HOl storage drum 64. Make-up HCl is added to HCl storage drum 64 via valved line 78. If contaminants build up excessively in the HCl recycle stream, a portion of this stream can be purged from the system via valved line 7 9. Likewise hydrogen can be purged from the system via valved line 80.

While our invention has been described herein as employing our preferred regeneration sequence and order of reactors on stream, it is to be understood that other sequences and orders may be employed successfully. While our invention has been described herein as applying to regeneration of a particular reactor and to a process employing a particular number of reactors, it should be understood that it is equally applicable to regeneration of any one or more of the reactors and to a process employing any number of reactors. While our invention has been described as applied to a particular isomerization process system, various alternative processing arrangements and operating condition-s will be apparent from the above description to those skilled in the art.

. Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A regenerative liquid-phase isomerization process which comprises contacting an isomerizable hydrocarbon feed process stream with solid catalyst consisting essentially of aluminum halide positioned on surface-hydroxylcontaining adsorbent solid and associated with hydrogen halide, recovering isomerized product, periodically interrupting contacting of said feed with a portion of said catalyst and isolating said portion of catalyst from the process stream and from the remainder of said catalyst, contacting said isolated catalyst with hydrogen to effect regeneration whereby the activity of said isolated catalyst for isomerization is increased, and returning said isolated catalyst to said process stream intermediate contacting of said process stream with a first part and a second part of said remainder of catalyst.

2. A cyclic regenerative liquid-phase isomerization process wherein hydrocarbon feed is isomerized by contacting said feed with hydrogen halide and solid catalyst consisting essentially of aluminum halide positioned on surface-hydroXyl-containing adsorbent solid and associated with hydrogen halide, said catalyst being disposed in a plurality of isomerization reaction zones, said catalyst gradually losing activity during said isomerization, periodically discontinuing said isomerization onone reaction zone while continuing isomerization in the remainder of said reaction zones, contacting the catalyst in said one reaction zone with hydrogen and hydrogen halide whereby the activity of the catalyst in said one reaction zone for isomerization is increased, and returning said one reaction zone to the process stream intermediate the first and last of said remainder of reaction zones relative to the process stream flow direction.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein said hydrocarbon feed consists essentially of paraffins and cycloparaflins each having in the range of 5 to 7 carbon atoms per mole cule.

4. The process of claim 2 wherein said contacting with hydrogen is carried out at a pressure in the range of about 50-2500 p.s.i. and a temperature in the range of about 100-400 F.

5. In the liquid-phase isomerization of hydrocarbon feed in the presence of solid catalyst consisting essentially of the reaction product of aluminum halide with surface hydroxyl groups of surface-bydroxyl-containing adsorbent solid associated with hydrogen halide, the process which comprises contacting said feed and hydrogen halide under isomerization conditions with said catalyst disposed in a plurality of series-connected reaction zones whereupon said catalyst gradually loses isomerization activity, successively isolating each of said reaction zones from the isomerization process stream while continuing isomerization in the remaining reaction zones, regenerating the catalyst in said isolated reaction zone by contacting with hydrogen in the presence of HCl at a pressure in the range of 400 F., whereby the isomerization activity of the catalyst in said isolated reaction zone is at least partially restored, and returning said isolated reaction Zone to said process stream intermediate the first and last of said plurality of series-connected reaction zones.

6. In a liquid-phase hydrocarbon isomerization process employing a series of reaction zones each containing solid aluminum chloride-adsorbent solid catalyst wherein hydrocarbon feed is charged to a reaction zone in the first position in said series, product is recovered from a reaction zone in the last position in said series, and each reaction zone may be isolated from the hydrocarbon process stream and the catalyst therein regenerated by contacting with hydrogen under pressure while continuing isomerization in the remaining reaction zones, the method of cyclical regeneration of the catalyst in each reaction zone and relocation of the remaining reaction zones relative to the process stream fiow which comprises: isolating the reaction zone from the first position in said series for regeneration of the catalyst therein; charging feed to the reaction zone formerly in the last position in said series during the preceding cycle so that this reaction zone then occupies the first position; placing the reaction zone containing the freshly regenerated catalyst on-stream in a position intermediate the first and last positions; regenerating the catalyst in said isolated reaction zone; and repeating the cycle.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein the freshly regenerated catalyst is placed on-stream in the second position in said series so that said freshly regenerated catalyst receives as charge the hydrocarbon effluent from the reaction zone in the first position.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein the efiluent from the reaction zone in the first position is passed over a bed of solid aluminum chloride prior to introduction to the reaction zone in the second position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,317,494 4/ 1943 Thomas 20868 2,416,049 2/ 1947 Foster 2524ll 2,440,751 5/ 1948 Legatski 260683.74 2,992,285 7/1961 Arey et al 260-683.75 2,999,071 9/1961 Frey 252-4l1 3,180,905 5/1965 McDonald et al. 260-68374 X DELBERT E. GANTZ, Primary Examiner.

R. H. SHUBERT, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A REGENERATIVE LIQUID-PHASE ISOMERIZATION PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES CONTACTING AN ISOMERIZABLE HYDROCARBON FEED PROCESS STREAM WITH SOLID CATALYST CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF ALUMINUM HALIDE POSITIONED ON SURFACE-HYDROXYLCONTAINING ADSORBENT SOLID AND ASSOCIATED WITH HYDROGEN HALIDE, RECOVERING IDOMERIZED PRODUCT, PERIODICALLY INTERRUPTING CONTACTING OF SAID FEED WITH A PORTION OF SAID CATALYST AND ISOLATING SAID PORTION OF CATALYST FROM THE PROCESS STREAM AND FROM THE REMAINDER OF SAID CATALYST, CONTACTING SAID ISOLATED CATALYST WITH HYDROGEN TO EFFECT REGENERATION WHEREBY THE ACTIVITY OF SAID ISOLATED CATALYST FOR ISONERIZATION IS INCREASED, AND RETURNING SAID ISOLATED CATALYST TO SAID PROCESS STREAM INTERMEDIATE CONTACTING OF SAID PROCESS STREAM WITH A FIRST PART AND A SECOND PART OF SAID REMAINDER OF CATALYST. 